


Cywoman (Marvel)

by MarionetteRose



Series: Marvel OC Collection [1]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Action, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Character Death, F/M, Family, Fluff, Friendship, Gen, Hurt, Original Character(s), Original Ideas, Pain, Romance, Snark, Technology, Violence, lots of snark
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-11
Updated: 2021-03-16
Packaged: 2021-03-18 01:14:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,891
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29975154
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MarionetteRose/pseuds/MarionetteRose
Summary: In 2011, Clover 'Coco' Chase attends a Stark Industries dinner which ends up going a bit off the rails when terrorists attack, looking for a file her parents had created that she had no idea even existed. Upon her resistance, they murder her uncle, before fleeing.Now, Coco must not only deal with saving Chase Foundations from being completely absorbed into Stark Industries but also Mr Tony Stark, a childhood friend whose gone from a familiar stranger to a complete pain in her ass, one she might, unfortunately, be falling in love with.
Relationships: Tony Stark/Original Female Character(s)
Series: Marvel OC Collection [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2204787
Comments: 4
Kudos: 7





	1. Chapter 1

_**(February 18th, 2011)** _

The camera's unnecessarily bright flash made Coco Chase close her eyes, despite the glasses she was wearing. The photographer gave them the thumbs up anyway before moving on to photograph other businessmen and women. Coco quickly turned, smiling and shaking the hands of the old political couple she'd just taken a photo with, their names having flown from her mind long ago. After some more pointless praising, she bid them goodbye before moving away from the catered table so she wasn't flagged down by another overbearing business person who pretended to care about who she was and how her life was going.  
  
Coco grabbed a glass of champagne from the passing waiter and quickly downed half of it. If she was going to get through this damn dinner, then she'd definitely needed to be at least tipsy. Coco smiled and promptly greeted anyone who recognised her as she made her way back to her table. She'd just have Kelvin take them through McDonald's on the way home; it's not like the food at these company dinners were that filling anyway. Once Coco had cleared the section of the most overbearing businessmen and their pitiful assistances, she felt her smile become a little more natural. 

Coco quickly located her table and sat down, glad to be free, even if it was only for a few minutes. She grabbed out her phone and sent a quick text to Kelvin, begging for him to come and pick her up. The butler responded with a firm 'no', stating she hadn't reached her quota of three hours. It made Coco want to fire him and hire a butler who didn't know how to manipulate her. Glancing at the clock, Coco realised she hadn't even been here an hour yet. Biting back her groan, Coco finished off the rest of her champagne and made to get up to get another one when a fresh glass landed in front of her.

Blinking, Coco watched as a woman wearing a tight black dress with blonde hair styled into curls and brown eyes that screamed reporter sat down opposite her, a deceiving smile on her face. "Christine Everhart from Vanity Fair." 

"Coco Chase, and thanks for this," Coco said, picking up her new champagne glass and toasting her before taking a sip.

"Oh, I know who you are, Miss Chase, and I was wondering if I could ask you a few questions?" While answering a nosy reporter's questions was the last thing Coco wanted to do; it would mean one less lecture in her near future. 

"Shoot," Coco said, putting her glass back down, and Everhart smiled, pointing a miniature recording device Coco's way.

"What's it like being the heir to a company that no longer has any independence?" 

"Wow, you don't waste time, do you?" Coco joked, and Everhart's smile turned a little more natural. "The merging of Chase Foundations into Stark Industries is entirely beneficial for both companies. The sharing of materials and ideas ensures that the public is getting the best product and protection." Coco answered, sounding more robotic than human.

"And the relationship between Tony Stark, the CEO, and yourself is what exactly?" 

"There isn't one," Coco said instantly before picking up her champagne glass and swirling the liquid. "My uncle was the CEO of Chase Industries and handles all business between the two companies." It was true. Coco may be the heir, but Randy was still the boss. Not that Coco cared. Becoming Chase Foundations' representative on the Board of Directors was not on Coco's agender.

"And if your parents were still here, do you think they would have approved of the merge into Stark Industries? They were their greatest rivals."

That made Coco pause. The words 'still here' repeated in her mind several times before Coco closed her eyes and took in a deep breath, trying to calm her now racing heart. But vivid memories still flashed behind her eyes, making Coco want to run and hide. To down so much champagne that the memories wouldn't bother her any longer. This is why she didn't like reporters. Coco felt Everhart continued to stare at her, not realising how inappropriate her question was or just not caring. Eventually, though, she heard her shift, and Coco finally decided to answer the stupid question.

"My parents cared about protecting the world, not about the success of their company. So no, Miss Everhart, I don't think they would have cared. They measured success in lives saved, not on dollars earned." With that, Coco finished her glass of champagne, stood up and left the nosy reporter to make what she wanted of those words. She made her way gracefully through the crowd, dodging those who'd stop her, and reached the vacant balcony. She closed the curtains before opening the glass door and making her way out into the cool night air. Coco closed her eyes and took in a deep breath, trying to will away the heavy sorrow in her heart.

When she opened her eyes back up, she was staring up at New York's night sky, which was heavy with light pollution and blocking out the stars' beauty. It made her miss Spain and think back on those nights when her father ignored his massive pile of paperwork to teach her the constellations instead. Shaun Chase had been an enthusiast stargazer, and Coco could still remember what he'd tell every night before bed, what he called his most selfish dream. _'I want to be able to see the night sky in New York, Coco. The night sky Mother Nature had intended for us to always see.'_ Coco hadn't understood the concept of a selfish dream until she'd lost him.

"Shaun had said the night sky could show us the way home." Came her uncle's voice and Coco smiled.

"He'd told me the stars represent the souls of those who'd passed away, whether they be a human, animal or insect." Coco offered as the aging man came to stand next to her, both looking up at a smokey sky, trying to imagine what it truly looked like.

"You were 8."

"Mufasa says something similar to Simba in the Lion King," Coco noted, causing Uncle Randy to laugh that deep rumble that was so familiar to her.

"Maybe they stole the line off him." He joked, and Coco smiled. Then she looked down at the ground, her smile falling away.

"What do you need?" She asked since her uncle wasn't really the 'I'm here for no reason' type. Though, Coco sometimes wished he was. It would have made their relationship when she was growing up much less strained.

"The announcement is about to begin." He said, and Coco sighed.

"Is it concerning Iron Man or the success of Stark Indusrites' latest project?" 

"Both."

"Then I don't need to hear it," Coco said, and she could just hear Uncle Randy's eye roll.

"Clover..."

"I'm not trying to be difficult; I just don't see the point in listening in on something I already know about. Besides, it'll be just a bunch of talk about how great Stark Industries is with everyone patting themselves on the back when Stark probably did all the work." Because that's how all these formal presentation dinners went. Coco had been to enough to know that for a fact. Uncle Randy sighed.

"Just don't go wandering off anywhere. I need to talk to you about something afterwards, okay?" Coco nodded her head and smiled.

"Of course. Can't call my ride for another two hours anyway." Uncle Randy chuckled before going back inside, leaving Coco alone once again. She made her wave over to the edge, leaning against it and removing a long, thin silver pen-like object from the pocket of the dark red pants suit she was currently wearing. Coco put her finger against the bottom of the silver stick, with the tip turning green upon verifying it was her. Then she flicked the pen, and a large, translucent glass-like screen extended out, lighting up and displaying all kinds of different information.

Coco tapped the screen, opening up a file she'd been viewing earlier that day. Most of the file was pages that detailed complicated maths that would have looked like an alien language to anyone else but was like English to Coco. She scoured through the screen, finding the one she'd been reading earlier and got to work understanding the maths. The file was about blueprints for what Coco was calling L-P.A.M or Light Pollution Away Machine. Yeah, it sounded strange, but the name could always be changed. What couldn't change was the maths or some bad stuff could happen, like the light pollution increasing.

Coco didn't know how long she stood there, studying the file but eventually, the background noise of chattering, and later the presentation quieted down until there was no sound coming from inside at all. Frowning, Coco stopped reading and looked up from her GlassPad, as Uncle Randy called it, towards the curtain covered windows and listened for some presence of life. There was nothing. Worry started to grow inside Coco as she retracted her GlassPad and put it away before quietly making her way over to the glass door. She pressed her ear against it and finally heard someone's voice.

It was deep, robotic and muffled, like someone with a permanent voice scramble in their voicebox was talking. Coco couldn't really make out what the person was saying, but she knew it had nothing to do with business. Coco got out her transparent phone and pressed the silent alarm button, altering Kelvin that something was wrong. Then she put her phone away and back away from the glass door. There were several ways she could play this. Wait outside for the police to come, go inside, make a scene, possibly get killed in the process, or make them come out and meet her. The first wasn't really her style, and she kind of like breathing, so the third one it was.

Coco looked around and found an empty champagne glass sitting on the concrete edge. She quickly pressed the recording button on her phone before putting it back away. Smiling, she grabbed the champagne glass, got into position, and threw it at the ground, making it look like she'd dropped it. As expected, the glass door swung open, and two men dressed in ragged clothes wearing cloth masks came rushing out, holding up machine guns. Shocked, Coco took a few seconds to hold her hands up in surrender. Of all the people to come outside, she hadn't expected terrorists. 

The two men started speaking to each other in a language Coco couldn't identify before the closet one grabbed her shoulder and pulled her back inside. Glancing around, Coco took in everyone's terrified faces. Most of these people were just businessmen who worked for Stark Industries and not high up on the corporate food-chain despite acting like it. The most influential people in this room were probably herself and Uncle Randy. She looked around for Uncle Randy and found he was actually up on stage, a handgun to his head. The man holding the handgun was no doubt the leader of this group. His clothes were not as ragged, and he didn't hide his face.

His dark, cruel eyes never drifted from Coco as she was escorted through the crowd and up onto the stage. Unlike everyone else in this room, Coco had done the whole hijacked dinner scenario before. She just hoped this one didn't end as tragically. "Miss Chase." He greeted, voice robotic and deep.

"Asshole." She responded before inwardly cursing herself. Now was so not the moment for some snark. But the man before her just smiled and chuckled.

"I'm glad you could join us. I was beginning to wonder if you had come to this show of ignorance." He said, removing the gun from Uncle Randy's head. She watched as her uncle let out a breath before he met her eyes, evident panic and fear running through his blue ones. The man gave his gun to one of his soldiers. "My name is Alistair."

"I'd tell you my name, but something tells me you already know it." The man nodded.

"Indeed. You are Clover Chase, rightful heir to Chase Foundations and a technology genius." He said, running his hands down the glass podium. "Didn't you create the blueprints for whatever useless item was being shown tonight?"

"I simply improved them." 

"Don't be modest." Alistair insisted, but Coco didn't amend her statement. Instead, she looked away from the men, taking in the room.

"What are you going to do? Bomb this place? Kill anybody of importance? Take one of us hostage?" She asked, eyes skimming over the faces of people she didn't know but probably knew too much about herself.

"Depends on how you answer my next question." Coco looked back at Alistair, waiting for him to go on. He grinned. "Where is the USB?"

"Which one? I have so many." She asked, and his right-hand man quickly strode over and backhanded her across the face. Coco groaned as she felt his ring cut her cheek, and a few gasps rang throughout the room.

"Don't disrespect the Rìgh." Scottish for 'king'. It'd explain the name at least. Coco swallowed the rising taste of cooper in her mouth and turned back to look at the terrorists before her.

"I'm not. I'm a technology genius, remember? You think I just have one USB?" She asked her attacker, and he didn't respond, just took a step back. Which meant yes, he had.

"This one is old, very old. In fact, it was used by your parents. It contains the plans for a very secret project." Alistair informed her, and Coco frowned. Then it wasn't a USB they were after but probably an old, massive hard drive. Coco had all her parents data uploaded onto her private database years ago, and she hadn't found anything along the lines they were talking about. Even if she had, she'd rather die then hand over such information to terrorists.

"I'm sorry, but I don't know what you're talking about." That sentence resulted in her getting a punch to the guts, and Coco could have sworn she felt an organ rupture at the force. She fell to her knees in pain, groaning and trying to calm her breathing. She needed to remain calm if she was going to get them out of this. "I really don't."

"I don't believe you," Alistair said, holding his hand out. His righthand man gave him the handgun once again, and he put it back against Uncle Randy's head. It was then Coco once again took in her uncle. He was shaking, panic etched onto his features, but it wasn't the same as before. No, it was panic for someone else, something else. He knew what they were talking about! "Now, tell me? Where is the USB?"

"It's in one of our old houses." She started, quickly thinking on her feet, needing to get that gun away from her uncle's head. Said man looked at her with shock and confusion. She kept her gaze on him, paying Alistair no heed. "The house is located in Florida."

"Where in Florida?" Alistair insists, and Coco closed her eyes.

"I can't say the address out loud."

"Haniel, give her some paper and pen," Alistair said and the man who'd slapped and punched her pulled out what was requested of him. He gave it to Coco, who started writing down the address.

"If you're lying to us..." He trailed off, his threat crystal clear, and Coco looked the man in the eye.

"I'm a horrible liar." She said before handing Haniel back his pen and paper. He gave it to Alistair, who quickly gave it a read over. Then he was smiling and pocketing the piece of paper. Then he pointed his gun into Uncle Randy's back and pulled the trigger. "NO!" Coco shouted, but it could barely be heard over the sound of a gunshot and Uncle Randy's cry of pain. He crumpled to the ground, and Coco could only watch as red started to stain his grey suit.

"We're moving out." Shouted Alistair, and Coco felt the man behind her shove her to the ground, and she grunted as the movement caused pain to erupted through her chest and stomach. Yeah, she's definitely got a broken rib. Biting her lip, Coco ignored the pain and crawled over to where Uncle Randy was lying and starting to breathe heavily. She put one hand on the entry wound and used the other to roll the man over, so he was lying in her lap. He coughed and groaned, with blood starting to come out of his mouth. Coco paid no heed to the movement around her, only focused on the dying man in her arms. He was dying, and she couldn't stop it.

"Clover..." He started before coughing, and Coco hushed him.

"Don't speak; you're going to be okay, just don't speak." She insisted as Uncle Randy coughed some more. He then, very shakingly, tried reaching into his pant's pocket. Coco used her free hand to do it for him and pulled out a small, thin silver USB.

"You-ur parents...would ha-ave...want-ted you...to h-have...it..." He struggled to get out, and Coco blinked at the USB before wrapping her hand tightly around it and directing her attention back to her dying uncle.

"Your ging to be fine." She insisted again, but as her uncle started to struggle to keep his eyes open, her hope began to fade.

"You-u...look ju-ust...li-ike...your..." Uncle Randy faded off as his eyes glassed over, and his head fell limp in her lap. Coco could feel the tears begin to well up as she took in the man who'd been breathing and laughing with her just a few hours ago. Now, he was gone, just like her parents. He'd been taken away by people enforcing their beliefs and opinions onto a disinterested world, just like her parents. Now, she was truly all alone. There was no one felt. She was the last Chase standing. Coco felt the tears begin to well up as she lowered her head onto her uncle's flat chest and sobbed. She sobbed and sobbed until the world eventually faded into darkness...


	2. Chapter 2

"So, that's all you found out? Were their names?" Asked FBI Agent McDickward for the tenth billion times, and Coco rolled her eyes.

"Well, it's not like I can't ask the man who literally could have killed me at any moment _'Hey, can I get your first, middle and last name as well as your whole life story so my countries crime-fighting monkeys have an easier time tracking you down?'_ , can I?" Coco snarked back at the man. He at least had the decently to look embarrassed.

"We could do without the attitude." His partner mumbled, and Coco sent him a glare.

"Considering you've asked me the same damn questions for the past hour, you should be grateful attitude is all your getting." Coco snapped back and heard a familiar, exhausted sigh.

"And I think that signals that it's time for you gentlemen to leave." Sounded Kelvin, and he calmly made his own over to the two FBI agents, gesturing for them to start moving. Coco didn't bother watching them leave, instead of turning to look out her hospital room window. She heard the sound of protesting then a door closing. "Well, that went well, I think," Kelvin commented, and Coco closed her eyes.

"I'm sorry, Kelvin. I didn't mean to be so..."

"It's okay, Miss. You are grieving. You're allowed to be an asshole for the moment." Kelvin commented as he made his way over to the tray of tea sitting on her movable table. Coco smiled and turned back to the aging butler. The man was always dressed to impress, and his salt and pepper hair was neatly styled. He turned and offered Coco some tea, and she thanked the man as she took it and had a sip. She wasn't allowed coffee until she was back home. 

"So, what happens now?" 

"How do you mean, Miss?"

Coco gave Kelvin a look. "What happens to Chase Foundations and our partnership with Stark Industries? Does it crumble? Will the company be completely absorbed now that Uncle Randy can't be there to keep it afloat?"

"You could always take over," Kelvin suggested as he poured himself a cup and took a seat in the chair next to Coco's bed.

"You can't be serious?"

"It was always the intention of your parents," Kelvin said as he took a sip, and Coco looked down at her cup of tea.

"If this had happened a decade ago, then maybe I would have." She muttered.

"But it's not what you want anymore?" Kelvin commented, and Coco was both grateful and annoyed he could see through her so easily.

"I do want my parents' company to live on...but I'm not the person who can do that. I don't know how to run a company. It's only because of my parents' will that I even get a say in what the company does, to begin with." She commented.

"And that you have money," Kelvin added, and Coco sent him a good glare. He ignored her, taking a good few more sips of his tea before putting it down and paying attention to her. "I guess you'll just have to talk to Tony Stark about it." Coco scoffed at that.

"It's not like I've got the man on speed dial, Kelvin." She said as she finished off her tea.

"You were recently involved in an attack at one of his companies dinners; perhaps he'll come talk to you?" Kelvin offered, and Coco rolled her eyes.

"Please. He'll probably spend Pepper Potts or someone even lower. The last time Tony and I were even in the same room was before my parent's death when I was 8, and he was 13." Coco handed Kelvin her cup as the butler finished his own cup of tea. "Besides, he's too busy flying around in a red and gold suit like a damn cosplayer." 

"I'm sure he'd take offence to that," Kelvin muttered as he poured himself another cup.

"I'm sure he would." Coco snarked back, and Kelvin raised his eyebrow at her but said nothing else. Coco took in a deep breath and rest her head on her pillow, staring up at the too white ceiling. It was hard to believe it had been three days since the Stark Industries dinner—three days since she'd lost her only remaining family member. Yes, Kelvin was family, practically became a second father to her, but he wasn't blood. Not like Uncle Randy had been. He'd been a Chase, had known things about her parents Kelvin didn't, could share those stories with her. Now, all that was lost and Coco closed her eyes, letting the sorrow and grief fill her heart.

Had she known those would have been their last moments together, she would have said so much. Instead, she'd sobbed and begged him not to leave like a child. Like she had when her parents had been shot. "Their deaths were so similar." Coco couldn't help but comment on. It got her a curious hum from Kelvin. "Uncle Randy and my parents. They'd were killed by terrorists at a company function." Kelvin didn't comment; he just grabbed her hand and squeezed. She squeezed back, feeling the memories come back, still so fresh despite it having been years. Her nightmares made sure she'd never forgot that night.

* * *

"So you suffered from a punctured lung, three broken ribs, several bruised ribs and a fractured cheekbone, and you're sitting here instead of in a hospital bed?!" Cried Edith, and Coco turned her head around, smiling at her.

"Yep!" Then she turned back to the pizza she currently enjoying.

"Coco!"

"I was in the hospital for fours days, Edith! I had to get out of there because if I saw another episode of a crappy sitcom, I couldn't have been held responsible for what would have happened." Coco cut in before the red-head with vibrant blue eyes could even try to lecture her.

"You still could have called!" Edith said, and Coco grinned back up at her.

"I did call." 

"You left a three-second voice mail that was you just saying _'DRUGS!'_ like a manic." Edith deadpanned, and Coco had laughed really loudly, because Edith's expression was priceless but it soon turned into wheezing when her ribs started to hurt. "So totally left too soon."

"I'm fine." Coco insisted as she grabbed a pill bottle and took a few with the help of her glorious milkshake. Then she turned to Edith. "Really." Edith frowned at her for a few seconds before sighing and making her way around the coffee table to sit on the other side of Coco on the massive couch.

"Your behaviour says otherwise." 

"What are you talking about? I always act like this. Right, C.U.B.I.C?"

"Yes, Miss. Though scans do reveal your heart is beating 2% faster than usual as you exert too much energy trying to move around." The A.I answered, both proving and disproving Coco's point. Edith gave Coco her the 'see?' look, and Coco rolled her eyes.

"I'm not going back. I've got the best in-house doctor if something does happen, and C.U.B.I.C is programmed to call emergency services at the first sign of trouble." Coco insisted.

"This is true," C.U.B.I.C answered, and that finally seemed to quell Edith, if only for a little while. The psychologist nodded her head and leaned back against the couch, letting out a big breath.

"Can't believe you actually got attacked by a terrorist group." She thought out loud as Coco took a massive bite of her enormous pizza. "What did they want?" That caused Coco to pause while chewing. "Answer me when your done eating," Edith said before Coco could even think about talking with her mouth full. Coco smiled at her and resumed chewing while grabbing out the tiny USB her uncle had given his life for. Eventually, she swallowed and answered Edith's question.

"I think they wanted this." She threw the USB at Edith, who caught it and peered at it curiously.

"What's on it?"

"A secret project my parents were doing," Coco said as she took a long drink from her milkshake. "It's so secret that not even Kelvin knew about it when I asked him," Coco said, thinking back on the slightly startled look the butler had possessed upon seeing the USB and hearing why the terrorists had wanted it.

"Do you know what the project is?" Edith asked, and Coco shook her head.

"Nope. I haven't even tried looking at it yet." She'd been confined to a damn hospital bed for the past four days, all technology being removed from her grasp. Edith nodded and handed Coco back the USB.

"If you have the USB, why did they leave?" 

"I'd told them the USB was at our old Flordia Mansion." Edith raised her eyebrows.

"And they believed you?"

"I am an excellent liar," Coco said, and Edith rolled her eyes but chuckled. Then a look of realisation overcame her features.

"Wait! Isn't that place booby-trapped?" She asked, and Coco nodded her head. 

"Considering they murdered my uncle, I really couldn't care less." If Alistair and Haniel had been injured or even killed by entering the Mansion, then Coco could consider them even. Edith nodded her head in understanding before glancing up at the TV. It was playing a report of an Iron Man citing over New York.

"Do you think he's here because of what happened?" Edith asked, and Coco watched the news report for a few seconds.

"Probably, but he won't do anything. His just marking his territory, like a dog." Edith laughed at that statement before leaning forward and grabbing a slice of pizza herself. "Who do you think would win out of a tech battle? Me or Him?"

"You," Edith said without a moment thoughts, and Coco smiled, pride flooding her veins as she took another bite of her pizza and changed the channel to a replaying of Friends, the only good sitcom out there. Edith gave her a thumbs-up, and Coco grinned at her. Since their college days, the red-head had been her friend, though Coco had been a few years younger at the time. She'd stuck with Coco through thick and thin and, like Kelvin, didn't put up with her crap, much to Coco's disappointment. She was like a sister from another mother, and Coco was pretty sure she'd be lost without her.

* * *

Lifting up her shirt, Coco carefully placed the detachable ice-pack over the horrible bruising that was covering the left side of her ribs as she slowly made her way down to what Kelvin called The Pit, which was really just her workshop. She reached the bottom of the stairs, and the camera above the door scanned her, it's light turning green once she'd been verified. The door clicked opened, and Coco made her way inside, heading over to the cluster of highly advanced translucent computers that occupied her desk. She reached her relatively boring office chair and sat down with a relieved sigh. "Feeling sore, are we, Miss?" C.U.B.I.C asked, and Coco smiled.

"A little, but I'll live." She answered the concerned A.I. as she spun around and turned on her computers, which caused everything else in The Pit to light up. Holographic screens and scans lit up, scanning and logging everything in The Pit as her computers displayed the work she'd been working on before the Stark Industries dinner.

"It would seem that the attack on the Stark Industries dinner has become a trending topic worldwide," C.U.B.I.C said, pulling up several articles on the incident.

"I'm not the centrefold of those articles, am I?" Coco asked as she pulled herself a cup of coffee.

"Only a few. Most focus on the terrorists themselves." Coco nodded as she heard something fall down. Turning around, she watched as G.L.I.T.C.H blinked down at the now mashed bottle of wine on the floor.

"What are you doing?" She asked the hovering grey sphere with a massive eye in the centre. It looked up at her and made several beeping sounds. "No, you're not being helpful." She said, turning back to her computers. "I need coffee, sweet glorious coffee, not wine." More beeping occurred, and she heard G.L.I.T.C.H fly over, so it was floating above her head. It beeped some more, and Coco chuckled. "Something like that, buddy." She said, then reached into her pocket and removed the USB that had been plaguing her thoughts for the past few days. "Let's see what you're hiding, shall we?" 

She plugged the USB into her computer, and immediately several screens depicting complicated coding showed up, scrolling through the coding quicker then Coco could even register. "It would appear there is an encrypted firewall," C.U.B.I.C noted, and Coco began typing some stuff out.

"How strong are we talking?" Coco asked.

"It's a location-based encryption." The male voiced A.I. said, and Coco grinned.

"Good, a challenge." Then she got to work, accessing all kinds of various programs and algorithms and in no time at all, she'd tricked the encryption and cracked it, revealing the contents of the USB. Several different files with different Project names floated by on her screen, and Coco frowned. Most of them sounded a lot like weapons. But there was one project that caught her eye. "Project C.I-suit." She muttered out loud and clicked the file. It brought up all kinds of different pictures and blueprints of what Coco assumed was the C.I-suit.

"It stands fo Cybentically Inhancded Suit," C.U.B.I.C noted, and Coco hummed. When thinking of a tech-based suit, Iron Man was the first thing that came to mind, but this suit looked quite different. It wasn't really armour but more like a tight-fighting combat suit. The main idea was for it to be made out of thin and flexible but durable kevlar, making it bulletproof with all kinds of various tech upgrades that would make it far superior to any battle attire a soldier could wear into battle. It was honestly a brilliant idea, and Coco was surprised it had been kept secret for so long.

"This kind of technology could be devastating in the wrong hands," Coco commented, and she could suddenly see why the terrorists had been after such a file. They could quash any kind of resisted like setting fire to paper. G.L.I.T.C.H beeped his agreement and she closed the file, opening up a few of the other. Like the C.I-suit, they were projects about brilliant weapons that could do a ton of good foe one side and a ton of damage for the other. She could now understand why her parents had wanted this kept secret, so much so that Uncle Randy had it transferred from some washed up hard-drive to a heavily encrypted USB. It made her wonder who'd encrypted it. 

The sound of the door scan accepting someone else made Coco look up and see Kelvin enter with a tray holding a jug of water and a few bottles of pills. "It's medication time." He said, placing the tray down. Coco hummed but didn't complain, focusing back on what she'd just discovered instead.

"Had Dad ever talked about making weapons?" Coco asked as Kelvin poured her a glass of water. It made the butler pause for a moment.

"Only in the presence of Howard Stark." He answered, placing the cup of water in front of her before preparing her tiny shot of pills.

"Did they ever come up with anything?" She asked as Kelvin measured out each dose carefully.

"They came up with lots of ideas, with Mr Stark even going on to turn some of them into a reality. But Mr Chase had always insisted his name be kept out of it." Kelvin said, placing the tiny shot in front of Coco. She peered down at it with interest.

"Why?"

"He was afraid it would ruin all the good work he'd managed to achieve beforehand as well as place a target on his back," Kelvin said, and Coco closed her eyes.

"So he chose to hide the truth." She concluded, and Kelvin took his time in responding.

"He chose to protect his family and the world from something they wouldn't understand. As he put it, _'There are those who will always fight for what is right. I prefer they be armed then controlled'_." Coco remembered that sentence. It's what he'd told her mother before they'd left for dinner on their final night of life.

"But what stops them from taking control from those who gifted them with the means to take it?" Coco asked as the C.I-suit showed up on screen once again.

"People, Miss. People who will pull them out of their dark spot and back into the light." Coco looked at Kelvin as he folded the tray under his elbow, giving her a soft smile. "Take your medication." Then he turned and left The Pit, G.L.I.T.C.H giving him a parting beep. Coco looked back at the computer screen, staring at it for a long while before uploading the files to her private server and ejecting the USB. She rolled it between her fingers for a little bit, thinking about what to do with it when it hit her.

"C.U.B.I.C? Put in an order for a small glass box. I want to frame this." She said as she opened up one of her desk's draws and gently placed the USB inside.

"Of course, Miss," C.U.B.I.C responded, and Coco smiled before taking her medication. Then she turned to G.L.I.T.C.H, who was back causing trouble.

"You!" She yelled, getting it's attention causing the hovering robotic sphere to make it's way over, beeping excitedly. "I'm recovering from being attacked, so no, I can't take you for a joy-ride. Maybe next week." She said, and G.L.I.T.C.H beeped sadly, lowering its eye to the ground like it was pouting. "You can always integrate with the go-kart." She said, and the made G.L.I.T.C.H perk up. It beeped with excitement once again before flying over to said go-kart. Then G.L.I.T.C.H, like it was made of liquid, morphed into the go-kart, causing it to turn on. The then go-kart proceeded to race around, doing doughnuts and drifts, just smoking up The Pit. Coco laughed, enjoying the show.

"I've turned the smoke alarms off to prevent a panic," C.U.B.I.C informed her, and Coco nodded her approval. That probably wasn't a bad idea. She didn't really need the fire brigade showing up. "Plus, I've received an email from Stark Industries requesting you attended a meeting to discuss the events of the dinner a week ago," C.U.B.I.C added, and Coco groaned. She really should have seen that one coming...


	3. Chapter 3

The sound of something crashing jolted Coco from her dreamless sleep. She raised her head, waiting a few seconds before the distance sound of distressed beeping entered her ears, and she smiled before letting her head fall back onto her pillow. "Time, C.U.B.I.C?" She muttered, knowing that there was no point in even trying to go back to sleep now that she was awake.

"It 8:37am, Miss." The A.I. responded, and Coco groaned. She really hated her own inconsistent sleeping schedule sometimes. Actually, she hated it all the time. With heavy limps and eyelids, Coco forced herself to sit up, the white fluffy blankets once keeping her warm and protect falling down and exposing her to the cold air of her bedroom. She yawned, stretched before shaking herself out and throwing off the blankets before getting out of bed. "You have your meeting at Stark Industries with Mr Henry Ozmo at 9:00am."

"Are you telling me to dress nicely, C.U.B.I.C?" Coco jokingly asked as she made her way over to the walk-in closet in her room.

"Yes, Miss, especially considering how your last public meeting went." The A.I. responded, and Coco couldn't help but grin at the mention of that hilarious but ultimately disastrous interview. She quickly scanned her outfits, choosing to go with a black business suit that had a faded checkered pattern and black heels. She then brushed out her wavy, shoulder-length black hair and covered her hazel eyes with black framed rectangular glasses. Then she made her way downstairs and into the kitchen. The sight that greeted her made the woman blinked.

G.L.I.T.C.H was rolling around on the ground like a volleyball that had nearly lost all its kinetic energy. A disregard tray surrounded by bits of smashed glass and puddles of water was just sitting on the ground near the marble island, and Coco immediately knew what had awakened her. "What did you do?" She asked, and G.L.I.T.C.H stopped rolling immediately. Its eye blinked open as he raised from the ground, beeping at her rapidly. "Slow down, buddy," Coco said as she entered the kitchen, stepping around the mess. G.L.I.T.C.H stopped beeping and fly over to her. "Now, tell me what happened?"

Coco nodded her head as G.L.I.T.C.H beeped, different sounds and tones of those sounds spelling out the accident in a language only Coco could understand. When G.L.I.T.C.H went silent, Coco had a very clear image in her mind of what had happened. The highly advanced technosphere was attempting to bring her some water. That was it—no crazy shenanigans or attempts at morphing into something it couldn't. It really had been an honest accident. It made Coco feel extremely proud of the A.I. hovering before her, to have done something so human. "It's okay, buddy. It was just an accident. How about you get me a cup of coffee while I clean up this mess?" 

G.L.I.T.C.H beeped happily and moved over to the kitchen bench where the unique coffee machine sat unused. A tiny claw extended from its spherical body and opened a container full of coffee beans. The claw morphed into a small cup that scooped up some and took them over to the coffee machine, pouring them into a little exposed hole. G.L.I.T.C.H then ensured the jug was secure before morphing and disappearing into the machine, which immediately turned on and started preparing her coffee. Coco quickly cleaned up the mess, using a hand vacuum to pick up all the glass shards before using a simple cloth to mop up the water. When she was done, G.L.I.T.C.H was waiting with a mug of coffee.

"Thank you." She said before taking it and having a sip. She sighed in relief, finally feeling the last of her tiredness just fade away. She then made her way out of the kitchen, G.L.I.T.C.H close behind. Kelvin was sitting in the lounge room, reading an actual newspaper in one hand and a cup of tea in the other, looking like he didn't live in a technological advanced mansion. Coco simply took in the butler before shaking her head and making her way over, taking out her retraced GlassPad along the way. 

"You were supposed to be up an hour ago," Kelvin commented as he closed his newspaper. Coco simply hummed. "If we leave now, you'll still make it to your meeting on time." 

"Why would I do that?" Coco said as she opened up several files on the GlassPad, checking the changes she'd made last night. Or earlier that morning, considering she went to bed at about 3am. Kelvin merely sighed in exhaustion.

"To make a good first impression, Miss."

"I'm going to this meeting to avoid having my ears melted off because of a lecture. I couldn't care less about what Mr Oozmoo thinks about me."

"Ozmo, and this could affect the future of Chase Foundations."

"If Stark Industries' cosplaying CEO decides to wipe the company off the face of the earth because I was late to a meeting, then he shouldn't be running a company," Coco responded, closing her GlassPad once she was satisfied with the status of the files and smiling up at Kelvin. "Besides, being late to meetings is the job of an 'arrogant heir', wouldn't you say?" Kelvin sighed.

"So, you've read it?" Coco huffed as she went to drink more coffee.

"Of course, I've read it; it's trending worldwide." They were, of course, referring to the Vanity Fair article written about her by one Christine Everhart. Ignoring any mention of the hijacked dinner, Miss Everhart had labelled Coco an _'arrogant heir with no concern for her parents legacy'_ , effectively making her sound like a spoiled brat. She was actually impressed that was what the reporter took away from their little chat. The butler stood up and wandered over to her.

"Don't let it bother you. None of it is true." He said as he straightened her jacket.

"It doesn't. You should have read the comments." While some had been rather...interesting if you could call disgusting old pervs something so kind, most of the comments were defending her, so Coco wasn't too concerned with her public image. Kelvin simply smiled and stepped back but not before giving her some pain medication. Coco took the pills and finished off the rest of her coffee before handing the empty mug to G.L.I.T.C.H, who was patiently waiting for it. "Alright, let's do this."

* * *

"Coco Chase, I'm here to see Mr Oozmoo," Coco told the aging women at the desk. She blinked up at Coco for a few seconds before something clicked in her head.

"Oh, you mean Mr Ozmo." Coco nodded her head, and the women got to typing. Amazingly, Coco was only about 15 minutes late, which she totally blamed on Kelvin's expert knowledge of New York's streets and traffic. "He's waiting for you in his office on the third floor."

"Thanks so much, honey," Coco said before making her way to the elevator. She got a few looks from passing businessmen and women, but Coco blamed that on the impressive bruise on her cheek. She'd only put on a light layer of make-up, hating the feel of the cosmetics on her face. Coco smiled at everyone on the elevator as she got on and pressed the third floor. Her phone then beeped, and Coco took it out. Ignoring the curious looks she got from everyone in the elevator, Coco quickly typed out a reply to Edith's inquiry. The red-head was the main reason she was here in the first place. The elevator beeped as it reached her floor, and she made her way out of the elevator.

After glancing at a map, she made began to make her way to Mr Oozmoo's office, fiddling with her phone along the way. She was currently converting her parents' newly discovered files into tangible and manipulative holograms, and the process took a few days with constant check-ups and alterations. She really needed to find a way to improve the whole process. Upon reaching Mr Oozmoo's office door, Coco put away her phone and knocked on the door, taking in a few deep breaths to quell her increasing heart-rate. Now that she was here, her nerves had to begun grow. The door opened, and a man in a plain black suit with blonde hair smiled at her.

"You must be the infamous Coco Chase." He said, extending his hand, being polite enough to not address her tardiness.

"And you must be Henry Oozmoo."

"Ozmo." The man corrected, and Coco grinned sheepishly. "And yes. Please, make yourself at home while I go collect some files." He said, gesturing for her to enter his office. Coco nodded her head, hiding her confused frown, and entered as the man left and closed his door. She'd been fifteen minutes late; why was he just grabbing the files now? Coco dismissed her concern, chalking it up to nerves, and took in the wall she was facing. A photo in black and white depicting soldiers covered in soot, dirt and dust carrying Stark Industries weapons was hanging up, large and framed. A subtle insult to the company's new sense of direction after the CEO's stint in captivity.

"A rather vulgar picture, but I can't get the man to take it down." Sounded a voice once so familiar but now belonged to a stranger, and Coco closed her eyes in exhaustion. She should have guessed this was going to happen. Turning around, Coco took in the man wearing an expensive grey suit currently spread out on a leather couch on the other side of the room, holding a glass of wine. His dark brown hair, chocolate eyes and that goatee made who he was an easy deduction. She'd seen his face countless times on TV. "Hello, Coco, long time, no see."

"Tony." She said, watching as the arrogant billionaire flashed her a charming smile. "It has been a while, hasn't it?"

"Almost a decade, if I remember it correctly." 

"Don't lie; you don't remember that night at all," Coco commented, earning a laugh from the superhero.

"And you're saying you do?" He asked as he sat up, moving his legs off the couch. Coco couldn't help her smile as she made her way over to the desk in the room.

"I remember not giving in." She said, which got her a chuckle. "And I remember the disaster that was the following morning." That statement killed the light-hearted mood and got her a sigh but nothing more, which didn't surprise Coco. Tony may be walking a more righteous path, but that didn't mean he'd learned the ability to say sorry. With their reminiscing over, Coco sighed. "What are you doing here, Tony?" 

"I came to see if you were alright." He said before downing the rest of his wine and standing up. "You were just involved in a terrorist attack against Stark Industries."

"I was involved in a terrorist hijacking of a company dinner which is not the same thing." That got her an _'I don't agree, but I'm not arguing with you about it at the minute'_ look from Tony. "And why not call me?" She questioned.

"I don't have your number on speed dial." He said, and Coco leaned back against the desk, giving Tony a strained smile.

"And whose fault is that?"

"Probably mine, judging by your face, but we can play the blame game later," Tony said as he wandered over and put the wine glass on the desk, with little space ending up between them. Coco chose to deal with the surprise that sentence had sent through her later. "I just want to know if you're alright?" Tony continued, putting some space between them again.

"I will be." Was all Coco offered, and Tony nodded his head.

"Good, that's good." He muttered, stretching out his fingers, and Coco frowned. Tony Stark, the great Iron Man, wasn't fidgeting, was he? "I'm sorry about Randy; he was a good man." Coco nodded her head, offering Tony a small smile.

"Thank you." 

"Do you know what happens next with Chase Foundations?" He asked, and Coco sighed. She should have known this was what Tony really wanted to talk about. Negotiating the complete handover of her parents' company, resulting in the disappearance of Chase Foundations altogether. Well, Tony would have to wait because Coco was so not in the mood to have that conversation yet.

"I came to talk about the dinner, not get grilled about Chase Foundation's future," Coco said, standing up straight and heading towards the door. "If you want to talk about it, go through the proper channels." She said and heard Tony groan.

"That' not-" He started before cutting himself off. "I didn't...I-" Tony continued to struggle to get out his sentence and, if it had been any other moment in time, Coco would have stayed to see why but she just wanted to go home. She'd just put her hand on the door handle and went to open it when Tony finally seemed to get himself together. "I want to make you my new business partner!" 

That made Coco pause and turned to look at the man she'd known her whole life but was still a stranger. He was standing there, hands now in his pockets, the faint glow of the arc-reactor in his chest visible through the white shirt he had on. His body stance was confident, but the stumble of his words earlier told Coco that it was likely a facade. "What?" Coco asked, unsure if she'd heard his words correctly, and Tony sighed before turning around and walking over to the window.

"I've actually been thinking about this for a while, ever since Obadiah's death. I was going to ask Randy, but..." Coco lowered her gaze to the ground. "Which led to you." Taking her hand off the door handle, Coco lent back on the door instead.

"Why?" She couldn't help but ask.

"Stark Industries and Chase Foundation have been working together for years, even more so since the merge. I don't want to lose such a valuable business partner." Tony justified, and Coco nodded.

"But Chase Foundations is in the correct position to be completely absorbed by Stark Industries with little fallout; in fact, I think that exactly want the board wants. Why try to stop it?" Coco asked, genuinely curious.

"Doing that would result in us losing our best asset," Tony said, glancing back at Coco to give her a wink. Coco rolled her eyes but couldn't completely suppress her smile, appreciating the praise. "Plus, I know how I'd feel if Stark Industries was utterly taken away from me." So this offer was coming from a place of concern. Coco smiled as she lifted herself off the door.

"Okay." She said, causing Tony to look around at her in surprise.

"Okay?" He questioned, and Coco nodded, causing him to grin. "Well, that was easier than I expected it to be."

"I'm only saying okay because I don't want my parents' company to die, not because of you and your little speech." That got her an eye roll from the man. "Plus, it'll only be until I find a suitable replacement for Randy." That got her a frown. "Running a company isn't me. I'm only doing this to keep my parents dream alive." Coco said as she joined Tony to look out the window and down onto New York's streets. "So, I'll be a temporary business partner. Which will probably be better for both of us, so I don't end up killing you." 

"I'm an Iron Man; you couldn't even if you tried," Tony smirked at her, which resulted in Coco smirking back at him.

"I don't see your red and golden cosplay suit insight. Plus, I've got something that could easily defeat your set of armour." Tony looked both offended and curious at her statement, and Coco couldn't help the smile that spread over her face. Tony Stark was still the infuriating billionaire playboy she remembered him to be, but it would seem his little stint in an Afghanistan cave had changed something about him. What it was, Coco couldn't say, but he was definitely different. Though he still made her want to slap him across the head, a fact Coco assumed would never change.

* * *

"Congratulations on your new partnership, Miss. I fear it will be a memorable one." C.U.B.I.C said as a greeting when she entered The Pit later that day. Coco rolled her eyes, watching G.L.I.T.C.H make his way over to where the go-kart rested, currently in pieces.

"Thanks, C.U.B.I.C; I feel the same." She answered the A.I. as she took a seat at her desk and pulled up one of the files she'd been working on last night. It was related to the L-P.A.Ms, an idea she was now a little more determined to return to now that there was actually a chance they could become a reality.

"Just try not to kill Mr Stark along the way," C.U.B.I.C commented, and Coco laughed.

"No promises." She said before typing out some complicated equations on the screen. The next hour passed in relative peace, with C.U.B.I.C and herself working together on the L-P.A.M, the maths all sorted out and the blueprints now ready to be drawn up, and G.L.I.T.C.H messing around with all kinds of different machines, trying not to break anything this time. An alarm sounded, causing Coco to look up from where she was drawing a potential design of the L-P.A.M. "C.U.B.I.C?" She questioned.

"It would appear the perimeter of the residences in Flordia has been breached." The A.I. responded, a holographic screen appearing in the air in front of Coco, detailing footage of the Old Chase Mansion in Flordia. A group of painfully familiar men were carefully making their way across the yard, guns in hand—the terrorists from the dinner.

"Can hack into the house's system, turn off the booby traps?" Coco found herself asking. Even though she wanted these men to pay for what they did, watching them cross the yard, completely unaware of what they were heading into, sent a shiver of horror down her spine.

"I have turned off the one's you created," C.U.B.I.C told her, making Coco frown. The one's she created. Suddenly, the live footage showed the Flordia Mansion go up like dead wood covered in fuel, the whole place exploding a second later. Coco jumped back in shock, despite the video containing no sound. Her heart rate sped up, and guilt started to flood her heart as the feed glitched for a few seconds before settling down again. But it only showed her smoke and fire.

"Get me another angle." She told C.U.B.I.C, the footage changing to showcase the front of the mansion where many men were just lying on the ground, not moving, debris and fire and smoke all around them. "Alert emergency services." She told the A.I., who quickly complied. She watched as a few of them started moving, signifying they were alive, and Coco felt relief wash through her veins. Then the footage changed to show two figures standing off to the side, watching the scene before them. The video cleared, and Coco's heart stopped. It was Alistair and Haniel, making no move to help their men. It filled Coco with rage. "I want you to find out who they are, C.U.B.I.C. Find out everything about them."

"Yes, Miss." The A.I. responded, and Coco couldn't help but look back at her computers, where the C.I-suit file was pulled up, open to one of the concept drawings for the suit. What exactly did those men intend to do with the files? Coco had a feeling she wasn't going to like the answer...


	4. Chapter 4

"Mr Stark has arrived with finalisation documents of your new business partner relationship." C.U.B.I.C sounded as Coco carefully welded two pieces of thin iron together. "And he has brought some guests along with him." The A.I. continued, and Coco hummed in response. Very elegantly, she finished connected the pieces of iron, managing to avoid a welding line. Then she took off her welding glasses and traded them for her real ones, looking down at the iron platform she was creating.

"Scan the platform and identify any areas that need reinforcement, then calculate the correct standing points for the rods." She told C.U.B.I.C before removing her gloves and dusting herself off. She went to leave The Pit but heard G.L.I.T.C.H follow, making her turn around and face the hovering sphere. "No, G.L.I.T.C.H, you can't come." She told the sphere, and it beeped sadly. "I know, but I have guests. You can come up once their gone." G.L.I.T.C.H offered another sad beep but didn't follow Coco as she left The Pit and started making her way upstairs. Voices entered her ears as she approached the lounge room.

"I do not agree with this decision, Mr Stark." Sounded a voice that probably belonged to an aging man.

"Why not? It's probably one of the best ideas I've had." Tony answered, who sounded just as confident as she remembered from their meeting a few days ago.

"It would be much easier to absorb Chase Foundations and be rid of this ridiculous partnership."

"Not only would that be a huge financial loss for Stark Industries but also a PR disaster." Sounded a woman's voice that Coco guessed belong to Pepper Potts, one of Tony's other business partners and former assistant. "Chase Foundations has been loved and praised by the public for many years now, even more so since the hijacked Stark Industries dinner."

"Yep! Coco has even been on the top of the trending list a few times in the last few weeks, managing to pass even me." Tony backed up, managing to praise himself in the process. Coco couldn't help but half-heartedly roll her eyes at that.

"Stark Industries could recover from such revenue loss and public backlash." Sounded that old voice, and Coco heard Tony scoff.

"Considering the public are the ones that buy our products, I really doubt that." He responded, words dripping with snark.

"This is exactly why I'm only taking my uncle's position temporarily," Coco muttered to Kelvin as she entered the room, knowing he was waiting for her by the door. The butler hummed in response before offering her a tray with a cup of hot chocolate and a few biscuits on it.

"Care for a refreshment, Miss?" He asked, and Coco eagerly nodded, taking a biscuit and the steaming drink. She'd need them if she was going to get through this business signing. Taking a sip of the heavenly drink, Coco made her way to where Tony, Pepper, and a few other businessmen were waiting on her couch, with Tony spread out comfortably, looking like he owned the place.

"She finally emerges." Tony joked, and Coco rolled her eyes.

"Sorry, I was working on a project." She muttered, and Tony smirked his understanding. "Should we get this document signing underway?" Coco questioned as she sat down on the couch's island before taking a bite of her biscuit. Tony nodded and turned, giving one of the businessmen a signal. But the oldest businessman held up his hand, levelling his calculating and cold gaze on Coco.

"Just a minute." He said before straightening himself up. "Why should we allow this partnership to proceed? You said so yourself that this would only be temporary on your part until someone replaces you. That doesn't exactly instil the board with confidence." Coco nodded her head, having expected something like this.

"I understand, Mr..." She trailed off, realising she didn't know the man's name.

"Aaron Russo. Member of the Stark Industries Board of Directors." Mr Russo said, extending his hand. Coco shook it, a smile on her face.

"Well, Mr Russo. Even though I won't personally be the business partner to Stark Industries in the way my uncle was for very long, I still intend to be a big part of Chase Foundations. It's my parent's company, and I will watch over it like a guardian angel, but one that actually does something, instead of just sitting on their ass and letting other people fix their own problems." Coco said and Mr Russo considered her words for a moment before nodding.

"So you'll be the brains behind a face not belonging to yourself?" He concluded, and Coco nodded. Pretty much, though probably not to the extent the man was hoping for, but Coco didn't want Aaron Russo as an enemy on the board. He seemed like a hard and cold man, a stickler for the rules and punishment if those rules were broken. "Very well, then. We can get the signing underway."

"Good, otherwise I'm going to eat all the biscuits in this place," Tony said as he popped one of Kelvin's choc chip cookies in his mouth. "Their amazing."

"I appreciate the praise, Mr Stark," Kelvin said, bowing his head in thanks. Coco rolled her eyes but smiled as she took the document offered to her by Mr Russo and started signing the necessary areas. Once she was done, Tony clicked his fingers, silently asking for the folder. He signed the essential areas, and just like that, Coco Chase and Tony Stark were officially business partners. A wave of giddiness overcame Coco because she was still very excited to be working with tony despite how temporary the position may be for herself. He was just as brilliant with technology as she was. Plus, it meant her parent's company would live on, which was all that mattered to her.

"Now, all that's left is for you to move to Malibu and for us to start our future together," Tony said as he picked up another biscuit, and Coco rolled her eyes.

"You make it sound like we just got married." She said and didn't miss the flirtatious smirk, and wink Tony sent her way, making her scoff. "Never gonna happen." 

"We can discuss living arrangements later," Kelvin said, stopping the incoming snark fest before it had even begun. "For now, I do believe Miss Chase has some work to return to." He said, and Coco nodded, finishing off her hot chocolate as she stood up.

"Of course. Gentlemen, I look forward to our future collaboration." She said, shaking the hands of the businessmen.

"What are you working on?" Tony asked as he and the businessmen stood up, with Kelvin escorting the businessmen out first. Coco waited until they were out of earshot before answering Tony's question.

"An idea my father never got around to creating. Light Pollution Absorbers, though I call them Light Pollution Away Machines or L-P.A.M." Tony smiled at that as he put his suit jacket back on. "In theory, they take in the light pollution plaguing the skies of cities and convert it into reusable energy, changing our emissions into something useful."

"Sounds like it could be quite useful for New York. You can barely even see the moon anymore." Tony muttered as they made their way over to the front door. "I am, of course, to be the first one to see them finished. As your business partner, I demand it." He said jokingly as he took out a pair of those ridicules tinted glasses he always wore in press pictures and put them on.

"Depends if I'm still your business partner when that time comes around, Mr Stark," Coco said as Kelvin opened the door up for the man. Tony exited the mansion but turned around on his heel, throwing her a wink.

"Don't worry, Miss Chase. I intend to stick around long after that deadline."

* * *

As the door to The Pit clicked open upon Coco being approved, she watched as G.L.I.T.C.H blinked from where it'd been resting in her chair, quickly powering up and hovering it's way over, beeping excitedly, doing circles around her. Coco chuckled, highly amused by the sphere as she made her way over to the computers. "It would appear G.L.I.T.C.H is excited to see you." C.U.B.I.C offered as Coco sat down, and G.L.I.T.C.H pressed itself up against her cheek in what could only be described as the sphere's version of a cheek kiss. It startled Coco at how affectionate the action was. "G.L.I.T.C.H's programming advances more every day."

"I know. It acts more like a dog than a robot." Coco commented, watching as G.L.I.T.C.H started paying attention to a remote control toy car that Coco had brought for parts. The batteries had been removed, but G.L.I.T.C.H merged into anyway, bringing the car to life and racing it around The Pit. Coco smiled. She did see G.L.I.T.C.H as more of a pet then any other of her A.I.'s, especially since the robot hovering sphere acted like one more often than not. "If G.L.I.T.C.H had a gender, who it be male or female?" Coco pondered out loud.

"Actions performed by the A.I. would indicate it is more male than female. But without a recognisable voice, it's hard to tell." C.U.B.I.C answered, and Coco hummed. While G.L.I.T.C.H did have a voice, it was all beeps, a sound that didn't really have a gender associated with it. But she didn't want to keep thinking of G.L.I.T.C.H as an 'it' when it was clear the A.I. had its own unique personality and traits, one that was developing as it spent more still alive. That said, Coco definitely saw the morphing sphere as more male just because of its affinity to take over cars. 

"Very well then, G.L.I.T.C.H. I pronounce you a man." She said as the remote car the sphere had taken over sped up and did doughnuts, actually managing to create skid marks on the concrete floor, like G.L.I.T.C.H was happy with that idea. Coco shook her head before directing her attention to the computers in front of her. "With that out of the way, are you ready to give me your report on the terrorists yet, C.U.B.I.C?"

"Indeed, I am, Miss." The A.I. responded, and Coco picked up a cup of coffee that had been helpfully sitting on her desk, just waiting for her.

"Then talk to me."

"The group of terrorists that attacked the Stark Industries dinner 2 weeks and 3 days ago belong to Black Light, a group of extremists that believe that anger and violence are mankind's natural state of mind and emotions such as love and happiness prevent mankind from rising up ruling over the Earth as intended." Coco would have rolled her eyes if the name didn't sound so familiar.

"Black Light..." She muttered out loud, frowning as she tried to remember why the name sounded so familiar. "Where have I heard that name before?"

"Black Light was the group the terrorists that killed Shaun, and Melita Chase belonged to." C.U.B.I.C offered, and Coco felt the blood in her veins freeze. Her parents. Black Light had also been responsible for the death of her parents. Now that Coco had remembered, she felt so stupid for having forgotten the name in the first place.

"Where are they stationed?" Coco eventually managed to breath out once she'd gotten the zooming beat of her heart under some form of control.

"Internationally. Black Light extends into every country that is ruled by war or has a history of it." Coco nodded at the information the A.I. had given her.

"What else?"

"Black Light is well-known for dealing in illegal weapons and technology, possessing one of the biggest arsenals of any terrorist group. It's rumoured they possess Stark Industries products as well as Hammar Tech and a few others." Coco nodded her head, eyes automatically going to the computer screen showcasing her parents' secret files that had been plaguing her for days. Their pursuit of such information now made perfect sense to Coco.

"The guns they'd used at the dinner had been military," Coco noted, thinking back on the hand-gun that Alistair had held to her uncle's head. It had been the one she'd been able to see clearly, so she remembered the model of that gun best—a CZ 75, which was commonly used by the military.

"Black Light has been blamed for a number of attacks on military soldiers in third-world countries," C.U.B.I.C said, the A.I's tone smoothing Coco's rapidly beating heart.

"If they can go against the military with the arsenal they currently have..." Coco said, looking back at her parents' files, especially the C.I-suit. The damage they could do with those weapons sent shivers down Coco's spine. She didn't even want to consider the idea. Looking away from the computer screen, Coco took a deep breath. She just couldn't believe it. The terrorist group that had destroyed her childhood had managed to come back and tear her life apart once again...only this time, she wasn't a defenceless child.

Coco had used to see violence as something primitive. And she wasn't talking snaps or little punches; she was talking full-on beat downs and murder, the kind of violence that everyone was afraid to see and be apart of. But then her parents were killed, and Coco had become a vessel of anger and hatred in her grief, filling up with rage and violence that had finally spilled over when she'd attacked a bully after being taunted one too many times. She remembered Kelvin pulling her aside later that day and, after giving her a little chat, he'd told her something she'd never forgot.

 _"I'm supposed to tell you that feeling violence is wrong, that you should never let it rule and control you,"_ He'd said. _"But that would be a lie because there is nothing wrong with feeling violence, Clover. Feeling such emotions is what makes us human. To feel those emotions in all there severity...there is nothing wrong with that. It's okay to be upset, to cry and scream and hurt. But it's also important to remember that those feelings won't last forever, that they don't have to rule you. Not permanently."_

She'd made a resolution that day to not be afraid of her grief or the hurting in her soul, to not run away from it. Soon enough, the anger and anguish and violence began to dwindle, and Coco had found herself being able to smile once again. Glancing up at the digram of the C.I-suit, Coco thought back on that dinner and the terrified looks painted on the guests' faces, thought back on the horror and fear that had overtaken her uncle's calm eyes. Thought back on how Haniel had beaten her and Alistair had shot her uncle for the sake of sending a message. She thought back on all the violence she'd seen that night.

" C.U.B.I.C, open a new project file labelled Model 1," Coco said, pulling out her GlassPad and quickly transferring the C.I-suit file onto it before getting up and making her way over to her project table. With a flick, a 3D holographic model of the C.I-suit that was slowly spinning around appeared floating above the table, allowing Coco to see a 360% view of the outfit.

"Shall I store it on your private server?" C.U.B.I.C asked.

"Naturally," Coco said, hearing G.L.I.T.C.H come over and start hovering next to her head, interested in what she was doing. The 3D model of the C.I-suit was bulky and looked very similar to the current military outfits, despite the intention it was supposed to be slimmer and lighter. Coco assumed her parents never got around to drawing up a second draft.

"Do you intend to wear it?" C.U.B.I.C asked, and Coco chuckled as she made the hologram freeze so only the front was facing her.

"I just want to what to see if it's worth all the drama Black Light is going through in obtaining the plans. It's my parent's idea; I might as well make it a reality." Coco said as she zoomed in on the arm, checking out the glove. It looked like it was meant to have a few hidden pockets for what? Coco didn't know, but it was a neat idea. There was a cool belt with lots of compartments for all kinds of things, and the boots were pretty awesome. But what intrigued Coco the most was the mask. It was the most advanced design on the suit, covering the entire face with the hair being free. The bottom half looked like a surgical mask, while the top was a large pair of goggles and a metal platform covering the forehead.

"Do you intend to make changes to the design?" C.U.B.I.C asked as G.L.I.T.C.H beeped happily and flew through the hologram, making it spaz for just a second before going back into focus.

"Maybe for Model 2. For now, though, I think I'll stick to the original design, sorta like a reconstruction. I wanna see my parents thought process, find out what works, what doesn't. Then I'll give it an upgrade." Coco said as G.L.I.T.C.H flew back through the hologram, it spazzing again before going back into focus. G.L.I.T.C.H beeped at her, eye blinking curiously, and Coco smiled at him.

"Care to be my assistant on this new project of mine?" She asked the sphere, and G.L.I.T.C.H beeped happily before rising high and doing a few laps around the room. Coco laughed at the enthusiastic A.I. before looking back down on the C.I-suit hologram. This was one of her parents' last creations, and she intended to make it the best. Model 1 of the C.I-suit would be her parents' creation but Model 2...Well, that one would be all hers. After all, she was an artist, and like all artists, she took inspiration from the things around her, whether that be an incredible Sci-Fi franchise like Star Wars for G.L.I.T.C.H or Kelvin's own smart-ass remarks about her needing a second butler for C.U.B.I.C. She took it all in and used it to help her own ideas grow. And, who knows, maybe Tony and his Iron Man suit will inspire her on this project as well...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry if Tony is a little OOC. I find writing about the whole business side of the story a little difficult


End file.
